Category: Tennis Creates Awards

Janelle Nichols smiling at the camera in front of a brick wall with a black sweater on and curly hair

Connecting Courts and Classrooms: Janelle Nichols Champions Academics and Athletics for D.C. Youth 

Connecting Courts and Classrooms: Janelle Nichols Champions Academics and Athletics for D.C. Youth

For Janelle Nichols, tennis and education are inseparable partners in personal growth. As Director of Programs & Partnerships for the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation (WTEF), Nichols has dedicated her career to blending academics, life skills and athletics for youth in under-resourced neighborhoods across Washington, D.C. Her innovative leadership has earned her the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation 2026 Tennis in the Classroom Award.

Nichols came to tennis as an adult with a background in public health, quickly discovering that the sport provided an ideal platform for community well-being. At WTEF, she oversees programs that deliver no-cost tennis instruction paired with academic enrichment and STEM curriculum, creating an environment where lessons learned on the court directly inform classroom success.

“Fusing tennis and education provides a unique opportunity for learning,” Nichols said. “You might be struggling with a concept in the classroom, and you get on the court and learn how to push through that challenge, strategize and be a leader. Those skills transfer across both environments.”

Making that impact possible requires deep roots in the community. Nichols collaborates closely with school administrators, coaches and neighborhood organizations to ensure programs meet the real needs of families.

“Partnership building at its core is really trust building and cultivating trust among lots of different entities,” Nichols explained. “We cannot do what we want to do in isolation. We need community partners, schools and families all pushing toward the same goal to uplift our participants.”

The long-term impact of that holistic approach is evident in WTEF alumni. Earlier this year, a student supported by WTEF completed an operations internship at the Mubadala DC Open and the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open. After returning to college, he added a sports management minor to his degree, directly altering his career trajectory.

“Ultimately, the qualities I am trying to instill the most are confidence and resilience,” Nichols said. “Tennis uniquely helps develop those traits because you have to navigate challenges, move with the ebbs and flows and learn how to push through uncomfortable moments. I hope our students leave knowing they have strengths they can lean into.”

Janelle Nichols will be officially recognized at the 2026 Tennis Creates Gala on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner in McLean, Virginia. Join us in honoring Nichols and our other inspiring changemakers by visiting tenniscreatesgala.com to reserve your table.

Subscribe to USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation’s YouTube Channel and follow @ustamidatlantic on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to promoting tennis and its physical, social, and emotional health benefits. Learn about our impact in the region and how USTA Mid-Atlantic creates community, character, and well-being.

Honoring Vice Admiral Sean S. Buck: 2026 Tennis Creates Gala Honoree

Meet the 2026 Tennis Creates Gala Impact Honoree

Few people embody the values of tennis — discipline, resilience, sportsmanship, and community — quite like Vice Admiral Sean S. Buck, U.S. Navy (Ret.).

It all started at age seven, when his parents first put a racquet in his hands. That early introduction to the game planted a seed that would grow alongside one of the most distinguished careers in American naval history.

Honoring Vice Admiral Sean S. Buck: 2026 Tennis Creates Gala Honoree
Vice Admiral Sean S. Buck: 2026 Tennis Creates Gala Honoree

A native of Indianapolis, Indiana, Sean Buck made his way to Annapolis, Maryland, where he competed as a Division I tennis athlete and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1983. Those years on the courts of the Chesapeake Bay region forged a deep connection to the Mid-Atlantic that never faded. When he was named the 63rd Superintendent of the Naval Academy, it brought him back to Annapolis and to the tennis courts he knew well. He applied his competitive instincts to collegiate athletics leadership, serving on the NCAA’s Division I Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the American Athletic Conference.

Over a distinguished naval career, Vice Admiral Buck accumulated more than 4,000 flight hours as a Naval Flight Officer, commanded at six levels from squadron to fleet, and served at the highest levels of the Pentagon and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He holds a Master of Arts in International Security Policy from George Washington University, completed a fellowship at MIT Seminar XXI: Foreign Politics, International Relations, and the National Interest, and has completed executive programs at Harvard’s Kennedy School and Graduate School of Education, among others.

His connection to the Mid-Atlantic remains strong, rooted in a belief that tennis has the power to change lives. He has served on the Foundation’s Advisory Group working to bring the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation Tennis Campus to life, a regional hub that will make the sport he loves accessible to people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. His commitment to expanding access to tennis reflects the Foundation’s core pillars of Community, Character, and Well-Being. 

When asked what he does to recharge, his answer is simple: he plays tennis. We are proud to present Vice Admiral Sean S. Buck with the 2026 Tennis Creates Impact Award at the Tennis Creates Gala, recognizing him as a leader, a champion, and a true ambassador for the transformative power of tennis.

Subscribe to USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation’s YouTube Channel and follow @ustamidatlantic on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to promoting tennis and its physical, social, and emotional health benefits. Learn about our impact in the region and how USTA Mid-Atlantic creates community, character, and well-being.

Coach of the Year Khoi Truong Inspires Growth On and Off the Court

When Khoi Truong stepped onto the tennis courts at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Va. as a student in the 1980s, he never imagined he would one day return to lead the program. Today, as head coach and a junior tournament director, Truong is shaping the next generation of athletes on and off the court. His dedication to sportsmanship, character and personal growth has earned him the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation 2026 Coach of the Year Award.

Truong’s coaching path began when he started training his daughter to help her pursue college tennis. Through that experience, he discovered a passion for developing young players. Returning to Lake Braddock as head coach brought his journey full circle. Beyond attending the school himself, Truong saw his own children graduate from Lake Braddock and earn the No. 1 spot on the tennis team.

In his first season as head coach of the boys tennis team, Truong led the team all the way to the district finals, marking the team’s furthest postseason run in recent years. Yet for Truong, success is measured by much more than scoreboards.

“To be a coach, you have to have a lot of patience,” Truong said. “When players enjoy the sport, they tend to perform better and grow.”

Parents and players frequently point to Truong’s calm demeanor during high-stress matches. When a player is struggling between games, he offers simple, reassuring guidance rather than overwhelming them with strategy.

“Those conversations are usually simple,” Truong explained. “I tell them to relax, take a deep breath, reset and have fun. The most important thing is that they need to have fun.”

By focusing on character, Truong uses match pressure as a teaching moment for life beyond the court.

“Composure is a very important part of tennis,” Truong said. “It is like life: you cannot control everything, but the most important thing is having respect and building confidence through your mistakes.”

Beyond high school coaching, Truong serves as a tournament director for major junior events, helping expand competitive opportunities for youth across Northern Virginia. His goal remains simple: give back to the community that nurtured his own love for the sport.

“I feel proud and happy that I am able to give back what I received throughout my life,” Truong said. “It is very rewarding to give back to the players and to the community where I grew up.”

Khoi Truong will be officially recognized at the 2026 Tennis Creates Gala on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner in McLean, Virginia. Join us in celebrating Coach Truong and our other inspiring award winners by visiting tenniscreatesgala.com to reserve your table.

Subscribe to USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation’s YouTube Channel and follow @ustamidatlantic on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to promoting tennis and its physical, social, and emotional health benefits. Learn about our impact in the region and how USTA Mid-Atlantic creates community, character, and well-being.